


The Memories that Stay.

by AliTheHierophant



Category: Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Christmas Themed, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Mild Heart of Thorns spoilers, Romance, Wintersday, the yearning is strong in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28320858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliTheHierophant/pseuds/AliTheHierophant
Summary: When faced with hardship, their love finds a way.
Relationships: Trahearne (Guild Wars) & Original Character(s), Trahearne (Guild Wars)/Original Character(s), Trahearne/Female Player Character (Guild Wars)
Kudos: 5





	The Memories that Stay.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Wintersday! This is my gift for sylvarilovemail on tumblr for the Secret Santa GW2 exchange! I'm so happy with how this turned out. Thank you for tuning in, and Happy Holidays to you and your families !

The morning felt cold as Morgdris sat by the window, intently reading the book she’d been working on for the past two days. She was so close to the end, close enough that she could feel the excitement of finishing it building up in her chest like a bubble ready to burst. She flipped the pages almost urgently, her eyes quite literally darting from one end of the page to the next until they were but a blur, the grin growing wider as she finally met the last words.

A squeal of joy erupted from her lips. She threw the book against the pillow across from her and bounced a little in place as she quietly celebrated the end of it. Another successful, satisfying adventure, brought to an end that left her feeling warm and buzzing with joy. 

After a moment, she grabbed the book and carefully placed it back on it’s shelf, taking a deep breath to catch the scent of old parchment, wood, smoke…

_Wait a minute. Smoke?_

She inhaled again, pausing for a second. That was definitely the scent of something that was either burning or about to combust. Her eyes widened and she darted for the stairs, almost flying down and rushing into the kitchen to find a thick cloud of smoke surrounding what could only be her husband, Trahearne, who was now in the process of opening a window.

“Dearheart?” Morgdris asked between coughs as she, too, attempted to help ventilate the room. “Mind explaining what was this about?”

While his bark remained the same emerald colour as he bashfully looked down, rubbing the back of his head in an apologetic gesture, his glow shifted to a bright baby blue, making Morgdris smile fondly.

“Well, I was trying to make some breakfast for us,” He explained, gesturing for the still smoking pot that was now in the sink. “But I got distracted and… Forgot.”

Morgdris frowned, unsure she had heard right. “You… Forgot? How?”

Trahearne motioned for the window. “See for yourself.” He smiled. 

She approached the window with a good degree of caution, squinting at the bright light coming inside. She thought perhaps the sun was a little too bright that day; as her eyes got accustomed to the brightness, she realised it wasn’t just the sun. There was white everywhere; on the fence, on every inch of grass and path, on the trees, surrounding the entrance to their home, and it extended as far as she could see.

“Snow?” She asked, eyes wide with wonder, turning to look at him. Trahearne nodded, smiling back at her. “Oh, by the Tree, this is perfect!” She squealed, clasping her hands together and skipping in place.

“It is, indeed.” He agreed. “A perfect addition to our plans for today.”

Morgdris smiled wider; word had come of a visiting carnival, meant to celebrate Wintersday in their village; as part of their many celebrations, they had set up a miniature, accurate version of Winter Wonderland- a sight that Morgdris had been looking forward to all week.

“Perhaps we should make some real breakfast now?” She offered with a playful look, leaning to kiss him once. 

Trahearne chuckled, reciprocating the kiss. “Are you implying I did a bad job of searing your toast, dearheart?” He retorted with a sly grin. “My, you hurt my feelings!”

As the morning progressed, Morgdris grew increasingly restless and eager, her body almost vibrating at the prospect of what felt like a new adventure coming up. She paced back and forth while she got ready for the day, putting on clothes then taking them off, picking up objects at random then placing them back elsewhere. Her body was so full of energy that, before she knew it, she was running late.

“Morgdris? Dear, we are going to be late.” Trahearne called from downstairs. Morgdris squealed, rushing to the bottom, only pausing for a moment to admire the lovely sweater her husband had picked for the occasion. Beautiful, intricate patterns in white, dark brown and lavender decorated the thick fabric, making the light on his body stand out, his face looking radiant as he smiled up at her.

Morgdris beamed at him. “You look so cute.” She noted, reaching up to cup his face. He leaned into her touch, smiling shyly back at her. 

“You look wonderful, my dear.” He replied softly, reaching to tuck a loose strand of her foliage behind her ear. Her own sweater was a mirror of his, with a couple variations in colour. She wore a matching skirt and hat, the fabric giving her body warmth while remaining a joyful look.

As Morgdris reached to open the door, she almost bounced back as she realised the door was stuck.

“It’s- It won’t open? Dearheart, will you give me a hand, please?” She asked, trying once more to push the door open. Trahearne approached, pressing his body against the door to hopefully grant it enough leverage to open.

Nothing.

They exchanged a confused look. “That’s odd. Hold on…” He went to look through the nearest window, opening it up enough to poke his head outside. After a second, she heard him curse under his breath as he pulled himself back inside.

“What is it, dearheart?” Morgdris asked, approaching the window as well. 

She paused too, staring. As realisation dawned on her, she let out a quiet groan.

The white felt infinite. It felt as though the snow had expanded and grown, for the top of it was now covering the door to the point of entirely blocking it out, effectively locking them in.

Morgdris sighed heavily. “Any chance we can exit through the window?” She suggested.

Trahearne grimaced, “We could… Certainly try.”

As he further opened the window, they both noticed the sky darkening to an almost tenebrous shade of grey. The thick, heavy clouds rolled and collided with each other, forming larger and heavier clouds that only added to the gloomy light - or lack thereof. Morgdris grimaced at the sky, sighing.

“That looks… Promising.”

Trahearne offered an apologetic glance. 

“Perhaps we should try tomorrow instead?” Morgdris finally suggested, her voice flat and devoid of all the previous energy and cheer. Trahearne nodded, closing the window again. 

“At least we will be safe here.” He offered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her forehead. “I could make us some hot chocolate?”

Morgdris shrugged, the energy of her initial excitement fading as quickly as the light outside. She buried her face in his shoulder, wrapping her own arms around his waist and letting out a soft groan against the soft fabric of his sweater.

“This sucks, honestly.” She finally said, looking up at him with almost pleading eyes. “Don’t you have any friends that could, I don’t know, teleport us there? Improve the weather? Change everything? Remove the freaking snow?!” Her voice progressively raised until it was a high pitched squeal, making Trahearne’s heart sink. Oh, how he hated seeing his beloved in such a state of distress. He rubbed her arms in quiet, tender comfort and let out a soft scoff.

“I’m afraid I haven’t yet acquainted myself with any deities, my dearheart.” He replied with a hint of comedy in his voice. Morgdris chuckled weakly, burying her face in his shoulder again.

“No, I guess not. That’s awful. Oh, well. I guess I’ll go find me another book, or take a nap. Not like we are going anywhere anytime soon, are we?” She looked out the window, the first hints of more snow falling already as she watched. 

Trahearne smiled back at her. “No, we shall stay here, love. I’ll make you something to have with your book. Would you like me to keep you company?” He added, his smile widening ever so slightly. Morgdris pondered the offer for a minute.

“Maybe not right now,” She admitted. “I kind of want to be alone for a moment or two.”

His smile faded, and he nodded. “I understand. But as you know, if you need me, I’ll be right here.” He replied, kissing her tenderly before letting go.

The day carried on; the snowstorm outside quickly gained forceuntil the wind was buffeting the windows and making the house creak and groan. The sky, once bright and peaceful, was now dark and chaotic, making the howling outside just as upsetting as the creaking inside. Morgdris wrapped herself tighter in her blanket, making herself more comfortable in her little corner. The book she had picked was only partially doing it’s job at keeping her occupied, and she eventually let go of it, instead letting her mind drift with nostalgia and yearning. 

She remembered the year prior, when Trahearne had taken her to see the ballet for the first time in her life; an intricate, extremely disciplined kind of dance that felt like magic in and of itself. The story narrated when they’d visited was one known as the Nutcracker, written by some Krytan noble whose name she couldn’t recall. She smiled fondly at the memory, the story now playing in her mind as if she was there again. The feeling of Trahearne’s hand holding her own as they watched on, sitting on the edge of her seat as the climax of the story came to an end. 

She then wandered into what came after; their visit to the central square of Divinity’s Reach, where all those merchants with their traditional Wintersday foods stood, calling out for potential customers and offering their low, low prices for their amazing treats. Her nose wrinkled as she remembered the taste of spiced rum, and she felt her mouth water at the memory of those fantastic little peppermint cakes; the coolness of the treat accompanied by the sweetness of it reminded her of home.

And the children. Oh, the children! Morgdris couldn’t remember seeing so many of the little humans at once before; children running, throwing snowballs at each other, squealing, screaming, laughing, playing. Her heart felt warm and joyful as the thought of her husband offering a gift to a particularly young boy came to mind, the bright smile growing in the boy’s face as he accepted eagerly. _Momma!_ The boy had yelled, _look at what mister Melandru gave me!_

Morgdris cackled. “Mr. Melandru”, she muttered. She had not let him forget, nor would she ever. She looked down at the book sitting on her lap and smiled again, getting up to put it back in it’s place.

“Dearheart?” Trahearne’s voice came from downstairs. “Would you mind helping me here?”

Morgdris tilted her head. Strange, she thought, how quiet he had been until then. She shrugged off the thought and headed downstairs.

“Yes dear, what.... By the Pale Tree, _what did you do_?” She asked, her voice suddenly rocketing into the sky as she found the entirety of their home’s first level covered in snow. “Darling?” Her voice was high pitched as she looked around. “Wha- did you leave the window open?”

But then she realised what she was looking at; where the foyer once was, there were decorations on the walls that made it look similar to a cluster of little houses, made with a variety of common household objects. She spotted books, small tin cases used to keep spices, wooden boxes they had left in the cupboard, jars, and even tiny wooden logs. Morgdris felt her jaw drop as she turned, slowly navigating her way into the kitchen to find the same odd choice in decor, the walls covered in tiny pine cones, miniature pine trees and some other decorations that effectively made the counters look like little forests. Even the sink, usually hosting a few dirty dishes, was currently decorated to make it seem like a waterfall. She gasped in silent wonder and kept moving, looking into their living room.

And there he was. although the room here had far less snow, presumably thanks to the burning fire in the fireplace, there was still plenty to make the room look different. Trahearne had pushed around the sofas and the armchair and the tiny tables and covered them with what seemed to be some canvases, which he had promptly painted to make them look like an almost exact replica of the ones they’d seen the year prior. Morgdris clutched her chest, still looking around and spotting the many ways her husband had decorated their home, and then she looked up.

Stars. He had painted so many of them, scattered across the roof of the room. She blinked, and noticed their movement, much like the bioluminescent spores found in the Grove. She gasped as she realised they were indeed the same type of spore.

“Trahearne-” She croaked, her chest tightening and her eyes welling up. “How did you make all of this?”

Trahearne smiled, motioning for the couch for her to sit on. He offered a little mug with hot, steaming chocolate, and gently tapped her mug with his own before taking a sip.

“I could see the sudden change of plans had a great effect on you, my dear.” He began to say, reaching out to hold her hand. “And I wanted to at least offer you some comfort while we let the storm truly pass. It may not be the same, by any length, but…” He gestured for it all. “I wanted to still give you this gift. You have done so much, for myself and others, it is only fair for you to receive so much more in return.”

Morgdris felt the tears now flowing freely from her eyes. She squeezed his hand gently and leaned forward to kiss him, giggling as their foreheads bumped slightly. “I love you, so very much Trahearne. And I love this, it’s a beautiful gesture. Thank you, my dearheart.”

Trahearne smiled into the kiss, cupping her face with one hand before pulling away. “Would you like to hear about the village I created for you?”

As he walked her back to the foyer, with a swift shift of his hand he made several of his undead minions appear, and Morgdris let out another cackle. 

“What are they wearing?” She asked in between laughter, leaning down to examine the tiny sweater that the rodent-like creature had, effectively squeezing it’s already tiny body into a comically smaller size. 

“I had to work with what I had- those sweaters were hard to find.” Trahearne explained, gesturing vaguely. 

“Why didn’t you make the guys smaller?” She retorted, tears pouring out of her eyes now from the laughter.

Trahearne pouted at her. “Do you wish to hear the story, dear, or shall we do a careful analysis of my work together?” He replied, his face showing a half grin as they reached the main entrance. Morgdris shook her head, pulling herself together and adopting a more serious look.

“So, this village.” Trahearne began to say. “In this village lived two very young, very sweet people. One of them a scholar, who enjoyed travelling - and working - alone. The other one, a delightful creature, full of wonder, willing to learn and see as much of the world as she could.”

Morgdris squinted at him, but said nothing. The little minions waddled around, moving in awkward manners as they navigated the little makeshift village. Morgdris laughed, fondly watching two of them waddling around each other, doing what she could only assume was meant to be a courting display. 

“As they grew, and learned more about each other, a spark ignited between them.” Trahearne continued. “Neither wished to acknowledge it, in fear that it would hurt the blossoming relationship between them. And who could blame them? It was a beautiful friendship, after all.” He turned to look at Morgdris and winked. “It still is.”

Morgdris giggled, kissing his hand.

“What happened next?”

Trahearne led her into a smaller side studio she hadn’t seen just yet. There, a floating blood minion had been decorated with what she could only assume was charcoal and loose strips of leather, making it look like a poor rendition of Zhaitan. Although the minion lacked a face, Morgdris could tell it was not having a good time. She held back a snort, instead nibbling on her lower lip.

“They went into big, huge fights against magnificent, ancient beasts; first, they took down a dragon made of death, and rot.” The blood minion made its way around them, poorly mimicking the movements of Zhaitan before his last moments, then made a point of falling to the ground in the same manner that the aforementioned dragon did. Morgdris held back another giggle, gesturing instead for what she assumed was a representation of the Glory of Tyria.

“Is that a pinecone?”

“Hush, we are not done yet, dear. Come this way.”

He guided her back out of the studio and into the kitchen, where there were now more of the minions dressed in silly sweaters, waddling awkwardly into the alleged forest. Morgdris smiled fondly at one of them desperately trying to scratch an itch, and reached to help him out. The minion squeaked in gratitude before returning diligently to his task of waddling through the makeshift woods.

“After much pondering and realisation, the two gentle souls realised it was time for them to admit their feelings for each other. Love, such a powerful emotion- and such a dangerous thing for the enemy to know.” At this point, Trahearne’s face shifted into a brief grimace, his empty hand reaching up to gently brush against the prominent scar on his face, a grim reminder of the many loses they’d sustained during the tragic events of the Maguuma Jungle. Morgdris squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“But then,” He finally continued, shaking his head and leading her through to the living room. “They overcame that too. And they lived happily ever after, much like you and I do.”

At this point, Morgdris could not hold back the laughter any longer and dropped to her knees, cackling, her entire body shaking with the cackles erupting from her lips. She held her sides as she rocked back and forth in an attempt to stop herself from laughing, but the sight was all too good for her to do so; his flesh golem, the largest, and by far strongest minion, the one he only summoned when the situation was dire at best, was dressed up in what she could only assume was a red coat borrowed from a norn. The golem’s faceless head had a fake, white beard wrapped around it, topped with a tiny red hat.

“What did you do to him? What kind- what kind of penance are they paying?” She asked in between fits of laughter, as Trahearne stood by her side, only quietly chuckling under his breath.

“I’m sure they don’t mind-” He murmured, shaking his head fondly at her. “Now, come on, you’ll miss the best part.” 

“Oh no, what did you do, Trahearne-” She croaked out, finally calming down enough to get back on her feet and walk over to the couch with him. 

The golem waddled upstairs, then after a minute came back holding a small sack with what appeared to be several boxes.   
“Gifts for us, and the kids!” Trahearne explained. 

“The kids?” Morgdris repeated. “What kids?”

“Our kids!”

“What kids- oh, no, Trahearne-” Morgdris burst into fits of laughter again as, one by one, the minions walked into the room, waddling and wiggling as they did. Makeshift gift boxes were handed out to them and while their sweaters would not allow enough movement for them to try and open the gifts, the effort was made, and a valiant effort at that. Morgdris kept giggling, her entire body shaking with every new fit of laughter that overcame her.

Trahearne laughed with her, then shook his head. “I figured one joke would be alright. There are gifts for children there, but we can give them those tomorrow or whenever this storm decides to stop. There are, however, two gifts in there for us.”

Trahearne reached into the bag and pulled out a delicate wooden box decorated with a red ribbon. Morgdris grabbed the box, curiosity getting the best of her, and gently shook it, hearing some metallic clinking and shifting.

“Oh? What is this?” She wondered idly, undoing the ribbon and looking at him with curious eyes before finally opening it. 

She remembered the music as soon as it started playing; a beautifully crafted, almost perfect replica of a little ballet dancer, forever captured in that pose she had seen the dancers do so many times the year prior, spun around in a tiny circle as the music from the Nutcracker played along. She recognised it as the final piece, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and could only imagine the extremely intricate clockwork that was going on inside. She stared, watching the beautiful red velvet covering the inside of the box to add the perfect finishing touch to it. 

“Dearheart-” She whispered in awe, gently brushing trembling fingers against the side of it. “This is beautiful!”

Trahearne smiled, nodding in quiet acknowledgement. “I agree- and I’m glad you think so. I remembered you enjoyed that immensely, and wanted to give you something to remember it by.”

Morgdris smiled, cupping his face with both hands and kissing him lovingly, then pulled away. “I find it highly coincidental that you would choose that gift. Here.” She reached for the one she had carefully wrapped for him and handed it over. “Open it.”

Trahearne smiled back, then focused his attention on it, carefully undoing the delicate wrapping until it fell to the ground silently. He stared at it for a second before scoffing.

“The Nutcracker, then?” He asked, flipping around the book and looking at the cover art. “This is a beautiful book. Thank you, dearheart. It seems only fitting that we read it together, don’t you think?”

Morgdris nodded, sitting down on the couch and making herself comfortable. Trahearne went to sit down but stopped, raising a finger.

“Wait, first- Hot cocoa?” He offered with a shimmer in his eye.

“Ah, that would be lovely dear! Thank you.” Morgdris replied, nodding eagerly. 

As they settled by the fire, she leaned against Trahearne, her cup resting in her hands. The fire crackled, gentle and slow, bringing warmth and a soft glow to the room. Trahearne began reading, his voice soft as velvet and warm as the fire. The words left his lips and immersed them once more in the story that she had come to cherish with her whole being, while the little music box sat on the coffee table. It didn’t matter what the winds outside would howl, or how badly the house would complain as the storm raged on. Right there, right now, it was their little Winter Wonderland, and Morgdris felt content. She admired the features of her love, thinking of all the times their love had found its way through rough times, and she smiled. Here it was, one more adventure for the years to come.

“I love you.” She whispered, kissing his cheek once more. Trahearne paused, and smiled, kissing her forehead in return.

“And I love you.”


End file.
